Reverend Sun Myung Moon has often said, "Whoever is con-cerned about the future must look towards the ocean." Although he officially inaugurated Ocean Church in 1980, Reverend and Mrs. Moon had already spent more than a decade of active and intensive fishing upon the ocean. But it was not just for fish that they went to the ocean; it was for intense pray and meditation. From those seasons of hard work in all kinds of severe conditions, they were able to lay the concrete plans which unfolded in the Ocean Church providence. The thirteen speeches and numerous excerpts contained in this volume comprise the essence of Ocean Church thought.
Reverend Moon explained that the ocean is not only a classroom; it is also a cathedral. It is not only a place to learn daily realities; it is also a place where little exists that can close the mind and corrupt the heart. Out on the ocean, without the pressures and pretensions of modern life, a young person's heart can unfold naturally. At sea, the elements are much larger than the person. When the sun rises on the ocean, an entire horizon opens up and the mind can aspire to great thoughts. When wave upon wave rocks the boat, the rhythm of life itself begins to beat within the heart. One cannot help but feel part of a grand panorama that has pattern and power, beauty and abundance. There, the presence of God can be keenly felt and clearly known. Awe is a common experience, almost a daily event.
In the following speeches, one can see that Reverend Moon has experienced these things to the core of his being. Without hesitation, He and his wife have shared their experience in every possible way with those who have been with them and for those who will come after them. The ocean-going tradition is the tradition of the poetic heart that bears practical responsibility. It is in the spirit of that tradition that this volume is commended to the reader.